Schlafly Cask Olde Ale

Brewed by Saint Louis Brewery
Style: Old Ale
Maplewood, Missouri USA

Serve in English pint, Snifter

It poured a dark brown color with a tiny head. The aroma was of seasonal features, like gingerbread and possibly some fruitcake. The flavor was of the same as the aroma with raisins, figs and caramel. This was a very good Olde Ale.

Brown with basically no head or lace. Smelled very wine like, fruity, kinda like barleywine. Taste wasn’t as sweet as the smell, it was pretty heavily malty with a little bit of wine like character. Tasty but not something I’d drink very often. Kind of an odd style.

Had this on tap at Bigelo’s during Schlafly’s 20th anniversary tap takeover there. This poured dark brownish with no head at all. It seemed like it had some age on it and was past its prime. The nose was spiced with Christmas style aromas. Hops seemed to be oxidized. The flavor was much the same with raisins, figs, caramel, gingerbread, and fruit cake. Again, hops seemed to be oxidized. This must have been delicious in its prime and was still nice.

Cask sample at Hop in the City 2010. Pours a somewhat cloudy brown-amber color with a small off-white head. Aroma of caramel malts, toast, dried, dark fruits, wood, and earth. Flavor is pretty similar, with lots of earthy, woodsy, toasty, malty flavors and just a bit of fruit to balance. Medium-bodied, with a smooth, woody mouthfeel and minimal carbonation from the cask treatment. I didn’t really pick up on the 9% ABV, but that could have been from drinking a lot of other stuff that day. Nice beer.

Thanks to Schlafly for bringing this one out for Hop in the City 2010. Pours brown / copper with a minimal sized head. The aroma has raisins, caramel, bread and toffee - very English and a bit sweet. Medium smooth body with very light soft carbonation. The flavor starts drier with caramel, spices, cracker, sourdough and very toasty malt. There is a very earthy British character as well. The finish is dry and bready with lots of caramel, raisins, figs and warming alcohol. Nicely done.

(cask at the taproom - served in a snifter) Bartender said it was intended as a winter warmer. Warm deep amber with essentially no head. Malt aroma, perhaps a hint of alcohol (I had a cold). Flavor was warm malt, a little sweet, hint of dark fruits. Great cask mouthfeel.

UPDATED: NOV 7, 2010 Cask drawn at the Tap Room. Serves up a clear garnett color with very little head, non-existant actually. Has a rich roast malt and vinous aroma. Taste is sweet roasted malt, port wine and brown sugar. Exceptional, but only on cask for a short while, then it’s gone.